Active links in original.
With recent UFO encounters mirroring the incidents that stirred Hynek and McDonald's academic curiosity, Congress must continue to assert itself on an issue that begs for scientific investigation.
It can begin by following Hynek's recommendation to establish an independent "UFO Scientific Board of Inquiry, properly funded" and staffed by academic experts with access to relevant data. To alleviate national security concerns, sensitive information can be analyzed by Department of Energy and NASA scientists with security clearances.
As the proliferation of nuclear weapons barrels on unchecked and a drought of "biblical proportions" grips the United States, Hynek's rhetorical question to Congress whether we can "afford to overlook a potential breakthrough of great significance" is more relevant than ever.